Benja Cremaschi shines with historic hat trick at U-20 World Cup in Chile
Benjamin Cremaschi’s life has been quite the whirlwind since he left Inter Miami for Italian club Parma one month ago.
He packed up his belongings in Key Biscayne, where he had lived with his parents all his 20 years, and moved into an apartment in Parma, a town known for Parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham.
Cremaschi began training with the Serie A team, made the game roster for the club’s first two matches of the season, and then traveled to Chile to captain the U.S. Under-20 national team in the U-20 World Cup.
He opened the World Cup with a bang, scoring a hat trick on Monday night in a 9-1 win against tournament debutant New Caledonia. He became the third American to score three goals in a U-20 World Cup match and first to do so in the first half. He also had two assists.
The U.S. team set records for most goals scored and largest margin of victory in a U-20 men’s World Cup match. The USA next faces France on Thursday at 4 p.m. (FS2, Universo) and finishes the group stage on Sunday against South Africa (4 p.m., FS2, Universo).
Cremaschi spoke with the Miami Herald from Parma before heading to the World Cup. He shared what the transition has been like from playing in his hometown alongside his boyhood idol Lionel Messi to being in a new environment so far from South Florida.
“It’s been amazing, honestly,” he said. “Obviously, it hasn’t been easy because I flew right after the Seattle game [Aug. 31] and everything happened pretty quick. My parents were here for a week and a half helping me set up. We had a lot to take care of. It’s been a good experience so far.”
Cremaschi believes the move will be good for him, on and off the field.
“The club has been very welcoming, the people have been amazing, it’s a really nice city, and I think I will get comfortable pretty soon,” he said. “Obviously, it’s out of my comfort zone because I’ve lived at home with my parents and close friends my entire life, so this is a big challenge for me, not only on the sports side, to adapt and get minutes, but in my day to day. But I’m excited to take it on.”
Although he trained with his new team for only a few weeks, he said it was obvious he was stepping into a high-level club where he can take his game to the next level.
“This club will help prepare me for what’s to come,” he said.
The Italian league is known for being “super tactical,” Cremaschi said, and that is an area in which he wants to grow.
“I think I’m a smart player and fast learner, so the tactical side is something I’ve liked and enjoyed, and I think I will be able to adapt to that,” he said. “Also, the speed of play and intensity is something I need to get adapted to. There’s a lot of players with very good quality, so mistakes need to be limited.”
Cremaschi is an Argentine American but has Italian roots and an Italian passport. His great grandfather is from a small town in Bologna, not far from Parma. He said he hopes to visit the town soon.
“My family is happy that someone is back in Italy,” he said. “I think we have a couple of long distance family members over here, as well. I used to watch Serie A, La Liga and the Premiership as a kid, so I am familiar with the clubs here. I definitely feel a connection to Italy and as I grew older, I always thought Serie A was a league I would love to play in.”
He gave credit to his Inter Miami teammates and coaches for helping him develop as a player and person, getting him to the point where he felt he could make the leap overseas.
“When the news came out and I told that there was a possibility for me to play in Italy, they were all happy for me and were very supportive,” Cremaschi said. “They told me a little bit of what to expect.”
He also received well wishes from U.S. senior national team players Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah, all of whom play in Italy, and Tanner Tessmann, who played for Venezia three years before joining French club Lyon.
“Being in Italy and getting a chance to see some of these American players is going to be nice,” he said. “Hopefully, in the near future, we can all play together on the national team.”
For now, he continues to lead the U.S. Under 20s. He also made a mark with the U23s as the youngest player on the 2024 Olympic roster.
“Everywhere I’ve been and played, I’ve learned a lot, and taken every little drop of experience I can,” Cremaschi told reporters on a U.S. Soccer conference call previewing the U20 World Cup. “This will be my first World Cup, so I’m excited. It brings a lot of eyes and it’s a chance for all of us to show ourselves on an international stage.”
U.S. Under-20 coach Marko Mitrovic has worked with Cremaschi for four years, and says he is the perfect person to captain the team.
“Benja’s presence and actions on the field speak for themselves,” Mitrovic said. “He is someone who always brings a high level of competitiveness and aggressiveness to every team he plays for. The experience he has from previous environments is a luxury we have and he is very aware of what he means to this team.”